Chapter 116: The Great Ming Emperor on the Offensive

"Immortal Master, if I were to consume this seed of the Divine Tree, would it rapidly generate chakra within me? Might I even ascend to become the Sage of the Six Paths?" Zhu Qizhen asked with a grin, as if his face had not been livid with rage just moments before.

Yang Xin gave a thumbs-up. To be an emperor, one must be thick-skinned and keep one's emotions hidden, never allowing one's true thoughts to be read from a facial expression. Although Zhu Qizhen was still somewhat callow, he had already begun to exhibit the maturity of a ruler. Yang Xin believed he would soon become a formidable monarch.

"A bold idea, but you are welcome to try. I cannot say whether you would become the Sage of the Six Paths, but I do know that if you were to swallow this seed, you wouldn't even have the chance to cry for help before being instantly consumed by the Divine Tree, leaving not even ash behind," Yang Xin said calmly.

"Oh," Zhu Qizhen’s hand trembled, yet he did not discard the seed. His eyes flickered; Yang Xin understood that he had not abandoned his ambition.

Yang Xin could not be bothered to intervene. One who does not court death will not die. Moreover, he trusted that with Zhu Qizhen’s self-preserving nature, he would never swallow it himself, but would instead find a test subject. As for whom he might choose, that was beyond Yang Xin's control.

Before long, Wang Zhen returned in silence and bowed deeply. "Reporting to Your Majesty, Commander Liu Mian of the Northern Internal Security Bureau and Commander Xu Gong of the Southern Internal Security Bureau have arrived with the elite Imperial Guards and have taken control of the inner city. The outer city remains guarded by the troops under the command of the Five Chief Military Commissions."

Zhu Qizhen cast a cold, mocking glance at Wang Zhen. Having been granted the Senju bloodline, his sensory perception had been greatly enhanced. He could clearly perceive the changes in Wang Zhen’s body. While he lacked the dynamic vision of the Byakugan or the Sharingan, he could easily detect a person's physiological state. In Zhu Qizhen’s perception, Wang Zhen was no longer a eunuch, but a woman.

Zhu Qizhen glanced subtly at Yang Xin. He had heard of the miraculous properties of the Spring of Drowning in a Girl—drinking hot water restored one's male form, while cold water turned one into a woman. It seemed that to maximize his combat effectiveness, Wang Zhen had consumed cold water and transformed into a woman.

Tossing the Divine Tree seed in his hand, Zhu Qizhen addressed Wang Zhen, "Go and summon Jin Ying."

Wang Zhen accepted the order and stepped out of the hall to instruct a young eunuch to fetch the head eunuch, Jin Ying. Once Jin Ying arrived, the two entered the hall together.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed outside. Commanders Liu Mian and Xu Gong led a large contingent of elite Imperial Guards into the hall.

"These are the immortal weapons bestowed by the Immortal Master. They function similarly to our dynasty's firelocks. Equip them immediately," Zhu Qizhen ordered with a wave of his hand.

The Ming Dynasty already possessed firearms, though they were relatively primitive. To ensure they mastered the weapons in the shortest time possible, Yang Xin had triggered his Treasure-Distributing System to project a 3D hologram demonstrating the use of World War II United States Marine Corps weaponry, displaying the techniques clearly before the eyes of the Ming natives.

This 3D instructional method immediately drew gasps of shock from the Imperial Guards. In their eyes, such a display of creating objects from nothing and projecting images into thin air was truly transcendent. Yang Xin’s various displays had thoroughly cemented his status as an immortal in their minds.

After equipping themselves, the Imperial Guards began to practice with feverish intensity. Inside the hall, Zhu Qizhen looked at Wang Zhen with a cryptic smile. Tossing the seed in his hand, he said, "This is a seed of the Divine Tree obtained by the Immortal Master from the immortal realm. Consuming it will enhance your strength. Wang Zhen, you have performed a service by escorting the Immortal Master to the capital; this is your reward."

Wang Zhen’s eyes lit up. Suspecting nothing, he stepped forward respectfully, took the seed from Zhu Qizhen’s hand, and retreated to the center of the hall. He swallowed it in one gulp, his heart filled with joy: "An object of the immortals—a rare treasure indeed..."

The summoned head eunuch, Jin Ying, stared at Wang Zhen with intense envy, wishing he could have been the one to receive it. But a moment later, Jin Ying’s face turned deathly pale. He shuddered, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

Before their eyes, Wang Zhen’s body vanished at a visible rate. He did not even have the chance to scream. It was as if he had been struck by a lethal poison; his flesh and blood were completely absorbed by the seed, leaving only his clothes to fall to the floor.

"Hiss..." Zhu Qizhen gasped.

He had known Yang Xin was telling the truth, but he had not expected the seed to be so ruthless. In the blink of an eye, a living person was simply gone.

Wang Zhen had been an absolute master. Having practiced the Sunflower Manual for years, while he was no match for the ancient monsters like the Ancestor of the Sunflower, his strength was top-tier among his generation of eunuchs—comparable to, if not slightly stronger than, the leaders of the various martial arts sects. He was a powerhouse in the world of martial arts, yet such a formidable figure had been erased just like that.

"Your Majesty is decisive and possesses the aura of a true Emperor!" Yang Xin clapped and laughed.

Yang Xin knew that Zhu Qizhen could never tolerate Wang Zhen. If you are no longer a eunuch, yet you wish to come and go freely in the imperial palace, what could you be planning? Zhu Qizhen’s elimination of Wang Zhen had become inevitable; the moment Wang Zhen drank from the Spring of Drowning in a Girl, his fate was sealed.

However, Yang Xin had not expected Zhu Qizhen to be so resolute, using the Divine Tree seed to easily dispose of Wang Zhen. It served to verify his own hypothesis, eliminate a threat, and intimidate Jin Ying—a true case of killing three birds with one stone.

Yang Xin beckoned, and the seed, having consumed Wang Zhen’s flesh and blood, flew into his hand. It appeared far fuller than the others. With a flick of his finger, Yang Xin sent the seed flying outside. The grounds were vast and empty; the seed took root, and in the blink of an eye, a towering tree grew.

This again drew gasps from the Imperial Guards. Commanders Liu Mian and Xu Gong felt even greater fear toward Yang Xin, while simultaneously burying their own secret agendas, becoming even more obedient to Zhu Qizhen, never daring to harbor treacherous thoughts.

"The position of the Director of Ceremonial is yours," Zhu Qizhen said softly to Jin Ying.

Terrified, Jin Ying knelt to accept the decree, shouting "Long live the Emperor," but his heart held no joy—only endless dread. He had just watched Wang Zhen disappear before his very eyes. Serving a monarch was indeed like serving a tiger.

"Companion Jin, conduct a thorough investigation of all eunuchs and palace maids. Tonight, anyone found passing secret messages is to be executed without mercy," Zhu Qizhen said coldly, adding, "Use the Imperial Guards. It will help them familiarize themselves with the immortal weapons bestowed by the Immortal Master."

By having the Director of Ceremonial lead the Imperial Guards to purge the palace staff, he pitted the two groups against each other, cutting off their ability to collude while ensuring they monitored one another. Zhu Qizhen truly possessed the qualities of a great emperor; this balance of power was a skill he seemed to have mastered instinctively.

Yang Xin’s admiration for Zhu Qizhen grew. At the same time, he wondered, "Now that Wang Zhen is dead, without his manipulation, perhaps the Tumu Crisis of the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong era will not occur. Have I indirectly saved the Ming Dynasty?"

"Please, Immortal Master, guard me. I wish to practice the 'Human Emperor’s Qi-Condensing Art' and refine the Imperial Jade Seal into my own soul-bound artifact." Zhu Qizhen could wait no longer and decided to practice with every spare moment, speaking solemnly to Yang Xin.

Yang Xin nodded. His eyes rolled back, his black pupils shifting into the Byakugan. After surveying the surroundings, he nodded, signaling that Zhu Qizhen could proceed with his cultivation.

The Ming Empire, founded by Zhu Yuanzhang, had the most legitimate of origins, and with the empire in its early years, its national strength was at its peak. The human path was flourishing, and as the rightful sixth emperor, Zhu Qizhen found it easy to enter the state of meditation and refine the Imperial Jade Seal as his soul-bound artifact.

"Whether the path of the Human Emperor will be smooth or obstructed depends entirely on tomorrow," Zhu Qizhen murmured, looking up at the starry sky at a forty-five-degree angle.